| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Finland
conventional short form: Finland
local long form: Suomen Tasavalta
local short form: Suomi |
| Capital: |
Helsinki |
| Location: |
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
64 00 N, 26 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 338,145 sq km
land: 304,473 sq km
water: 33,672 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly smaller than Montana |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 2,690 km
border countries: Norway 736 km, Sweden 614 km, Russia 1,340 km |
| Coastline: |
1,250 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden |
| Climate: |
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes |
| Terrain: |
mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Haltiatunturi 1,328 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
6 provinces (laanit, singular - laani); Aland, Etela-Suomen Laani, Ita-Suomen Laani, Lansi-Suomen Laani, Lappi, Oulun Laani |
| Independence |
6 December 1917 (from Russia) |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day, 6 December (1917) |
| Constitution: |
1 March 2000 |
| Legal
System; |
civil law system based on Swedish law; the president may request the Supreme Court to review laws; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
Branch: |
chief of state: President Tarja HALONEN (since 1 March 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Matti VANHANEN (since 24 June 2003) and Deputy Prime Minister Antti KALLIOMAKI (since 17 April 2003); note - former Prime Minister Anneli JAATTEENMAKI resigned
cabinet: Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to parliament
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 16 January 2000 and 6 February 2000 (next to be held February 2006); the president appoints the prime minister and deputy prime minister from the majority party or the majority coalition after parliamentary elections and the parliament must approve the appointment
election results: Tarja HALONEN elected president; percent of vote - Tarja HALONEN (SDP) 51.6%, Esko AHO (Kesk) 48.4%
note: government coalition - Kesk, SDP, and SFP |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 16 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Kesk 24.7%, SDP 24.5%, Kok 18.5%, VAS 9.9%, VIHR 8%, KD 5.3%, SFP 4.6%; seats by party - Kesk 55, SDP 53, Kok 40, VAS 19, VIHR 14, KD 7, SFP 8, others 4 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (judges appointed by the president) |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
Center Party or Kesk [Matti VANHANEN]; Christian Democrats or KD [Paivi RASANEN]; Green League or VIHR [Osmo SOININVAARA]; Left Alliance or VAS composed of People's Democratic League and Democratic Alternative [Suvi-Anne SIIMES]; National Coalition (conservative) Party or Kok [Jyrki KATAINEN]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Paavo LIPPONEN]; Swedish People's Party or SFP [Jan-Erik ENESTAM] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
5,223,442 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 17.3% (male 460,977/female 443,859)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 1,764,874/female 1,723,385)
65 years and over: 15.9% (male 328,952/female 501,395) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 40.97 years
male: 39.43 years
female: 42.52 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish |
| Ethnic groups: |
Finn 93.4%, Swede 5.7%, Russian 0.4%, Estonian 0.2%, Roma 0.2%, Sami 0.1% |
| Religions: |
Evangelical Lutheran 89%, Russian Orthodox 1%, none 9%, other 1% |
| Languages: |
Finnish 93.4% (official), Swedish 5.9% (official), small Sami- and Russian-speaking minorities |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
2.548 million (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
4.7 million (2003) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: modern system with excellent service
domestic: digital fiber-optic fixed-line network and an extensive cellular network provide domestic needs
international: country code - 358; 1 submarine cable (Finland Estonia Connection); satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 2, FM 186, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
120 (plus 431 repeaters) (1999) |
| Internet country
code: |
.fi |
| Internet hosts: |
1,219,173 (2004) |
| Internet users: |
2.65 million (2002) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 5,851 km
broad gauge: 5,851 km 1.524-m gauge (2,400 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: |
total: 78,197 km
paved: 50,539 km (including 794 km of expressways)
unpaved: 27,658 km (2004) |
| Waterways: |
7,842 km
note: includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
gas 694 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: |
Hamina, Helsinki, Kokkola, Kotka, Loviisa, Oulu, Pori, Rauma, Turku, Uusikaupunki, Varkaus |
| Merchant marine: |
total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,152,175 GRT/1,053,906 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 27, chemical tanker 6, container 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 20, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 25
foreign-owned: 2 (Norway 1, United States 1)
registered in other countries: 42 (2005) |
| Airports: |
148 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 75
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 13 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 73
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 69 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
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